1985 305 V8 firebird Only 34,000 original miles Should I buy for $2500? Runs great interior is above avearge. Everything original except headliner, but it was replaced professionally. Only thing wrong with it is clear coat peeling on hard top. Goin to have professionally repainted. Sorry I cant give you more information, but it just recently went up for sale. if this is the wrong board please tell me where i should put it.

 

Sounds like a great deal....

 

I think that would be a good buy

 

Any low mileage V8 third gen is a good buy at $2500 anymore really, theyre just now starting to take off like the 2nd gens so better get em' while theyre hot haha. Once that price goes up it aint comin back down lol

However...this is most definatly in the wrong part of this site.

 

Can't imagine you will find a better price for a low mileage bird!!!

 

Get it! that is a killer price if the body is clean.

 

85 with 35000 miles? i would have it looked at, sounds too good to be true.

 

True, since '85s didn't have the sixth digit in the odometer, I bet it's 135k (which still isn't terrible). Also, an '85 should be single stage paint, I don't believe clear coats started until '86. Maybe it has been painted?

 

Do a Carfax on it and see what shows up...Carfax records only go back accurately for about 10-12 years, but at least looking that far back you can get a better idea as to whether the mileage is accurare or not...

 

I agree with 80schild. 85's should be single stage paint. If it really is clearcoat that is peeling, then its been repainted and id be skeptical of the 34k miles, or its a 1986 or newer.

 

First let me say thanks for all the great comments. It has been painted before there are no decals visible on the outside. It is from a family member, who has had it since her mother died. Her mom bought it new. I am 100 percent positive it is 34,000 miles, but how would I be able to prove it say 10 or 15 years from now when I wanted to resell it? Also in 10 years will I be able to recoup the 2500 and say another 1200 for paint? (total guesstimate on painting price) I'm going to clean it up and mothball it I just want to make sure I'm not going to lose money I at least want to make my money back. Also I got another look at the interior and confirmed it is CLEAN. Only downsides I can find are the fact it is an Automatic, a Hardtop, and the color. Would I hurt the value changing the color from grey to black? Any comments are appreciated. I need to let her know within the week if I want it, so with all the information I provided and knowing the car starts and runs great what would you do if you where in my shoes. Thank you.

 

I think so, since its a low mileage car. If it were a 200k mile beater and needed an interior overhaul too, I'd say do what you want.

Changing the color is expensive too, because to do it right you need to paint the jambs, underhood, under the hatch, etc... You're looking at over $4k to do that, probably more.

 

If you plan to save it as an investment, but drive it once in a while, you should consider changing the transmission fluid to make sure it has up to date fluid. Modern fluids make the automatic transmissions last longer than older fluid formulas. However, if you start driving it, you may have so much fun that it could become your daily driver.

Also, if you are thinking of this as an investment, be aware that higher performance muscle cars (eg. Trans Am) with high horse power engines and low mileage tend to be more desirable to car collectors. Thus, their value tends to increase much more than a run of the mill, low mileage Base, RS, or Formula.

 

Can you post any pics?

 

Pics to come this weekend.

 

Check for tell tale stuff like the drive's seat. If it is warn and rocks, it has more miles on it. Check for door sag. It's easy to use the door to prop yourself as you get in and out. This will exacerbate the sagging problem. At 34k you shouldn't have major sagging. Check the door handles. Are they loose? Also see if there are any replacement suspension parts. At 34k, the suspension shouldn't have any bad ball joints idler arms etc. As mentioned, at 134k it would be a nice car for the price. Maybe you might have luck running a car fax check.

 

That's a bargain for any third gen with mileage that low! I would just drive it and enjoy it. Look forward to seeing the photos.

 

I haven't picked it up yet. I will post photos asap.